Fill tube cap



July 30, 1968 J. MILLARD 3,394,836

FILL TUBE CAP Filed Jan- 28, 1966 //A IN VE N TOR.

lag [0a z'S J/Ydia r4 United States Patent 3,394,836 FILL TUBE CAP Louis J. Millard, Detroit, Mich., assignor of one-third to George L. Fowler, and one-third to Marie C. Yost,

both of Detroit, Mich.

.Filed,Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,676

18 Claims. (Cl. 220-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The purpose of the above abstract is to provide a nonlegal technical statement of the disclosure of the contents of the instant patent application and thus serve as a searching-scanning tool for scientists, engineers and researchers. Accordingly, this abstract is not intended to be used in understanding or otherwise comprehending the principles of the present invention, hereinafter described in detail, nor is it intended to be used in interpreting or in any way limiting the scope or fair meaning of the claims appended hereto.

'This invention relates generally to closure means for tubular enclosures or conduits and, more particularly, to a new and improved detachable cover or cap assembly adapted to provide a fluid-tight seal at one end of a fill tube or conduit of the type commonly used for communicating fluid substances to underground reservoirs, tanks and the like.

In general, the fill tube cap assembly of the present invention is characterized by a cover member which is adapted to be detachably secured to an annular adapter member on the end of the associated fill tube or the like by means of a camming lever that is pivotably mounted at the opposite sides of the cover member and is cammingly engageable with a pair of cam cleat members that extend outwardly from the adapter member. Sealing means in the form of a resilient gasket member and an O-ring are provided on the interengageable portions of the cover and adapter members, whereby a positive fluid-tight seal is provided at the end of the fill tube to prevent 'the escape of any vapors or liquids and to prevent the ingress of any dirt, water, or other contaminating materials into the fill tube.

It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fill tube cap assembly.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fill tube cap assembly of the above character which is particularly adapted to be used with fill tubes of the type found on underground fuel storage tanks and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fill tube cap assembly of the above character which may be easily mounted on the end of a fill tube and is adapted to provide a positive fluid-tight 3,394,836 Patented July 30, 1968 seal at the end thereof to prevent any leakage of liquids or vapors and to prevent the ingress of any contaminating materials into the fill tube.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fill tube cap assembly of a relatively simple design, which is easy to assemble and economical to commercially manufacture.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fill tube cap assembly of the above character wherein the cover member may be easily detached to provide for convenient access to the associated fill tube.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fill tube cap assembly of the above character which includes means for accommodating locking means in the form of a conventional padlock or the like, whereby the aforesaid cover member may be lockingly secured in its position closing the end of the fill tube.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a fill tube cap assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top elevational view of the fill tube cap assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top elevational view of the fill tube cap assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1 with the cover member thereof removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the cap assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1, as taken substantially along the line 44 thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the cap assembly illustrated in FIGURE 2, as taken substantially along the line 5-5 thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a fill tube cap assembly 10, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, is shown in operative association with a fill tube or riser 12 which, by way of example, may lead upwardly from an underground storage tank or the like (not shown) to the ground surface. The upper end of the fill tube 12 is formed with an externally threaded end section 14 (see FIGURE 4) and is fixedly mounted within an annular opening or bore 16 for-med in a permanent structure 18 such as might be constructed of concrete or the like. It will be apparent, of course, that the principles of the present invention are not limited in application to a fill tube of the above described type, but instead are readily applicable to many other diflFerent types of installations. It will also be apparent that the fill tube cap assembly 10 of the present invention may also be recessed below the level of the concrete structure 18 to accommodate various installation conditions or Where required by law.

Referring now in detail to FIGURE 1, the cap assembly 10 comprises an annular cover member 20 which includes a central dome section 22 that terminates at its radially outer edge in an axially or downwardly extending peripheral section 24. The cover member 20 is mounted on an annular adapter member, generally designated 26, which defines a central bore 28 having an internally threaded lower portion 30 that is adapted to be threadably received upon the externally threaded upper end section 14 of the fill tube 12. The radially outer surface of the lower end of the adapter member 26 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly projecting and semicircular shaped boss portions, generally designated 32, that are formed integrally with the member 26 and serve the dual purpose of facilitating gripping of the adapter member 26 when the same is threaded on the fill tube 12, and for anchoring the adapter member 26 within the concrete structure or the like 18 which surrounds the fill tube 12 and the lower end of the adapter member 26. Alternatively, the lower end of the adapter member 26 may be formed with a plurality of wrenchengaging surfaces or facets (not shown) which are adapted to function in substantially the same manner as the boss portions 32 in facilitating mounting or dismounting the adapter member 26 on the fill tube 12.

As best seen in FIGURE 4, the outer periphery of the adapter member 26 is formed with a semicircular recess portion 34 which extends entirely around the member 26 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and is adapted to at least partially receive the inner periphery of an annular adapter clamp member, generally designated 36. The member 36 comprises an annular clamping section 38, which is arranged coaxially of the adapter member 26, and a radially outwardly projecting locking flange section 40 adapted to be used for lockingly securing the cover member 20 on the assembly 10, as will later be described. The clamping section 38 comprises a main portion 42 that is formed integrally with the locking section 40 and extends approximately 240 around the adapter member 26. The clamping section 38 also comprises a pivotably mounted portion 44 which extends approximately 120 around the adapter member and, as best seen in FIGURE 5, is formed with a circumferentially extending flange section 46 that is pivotably connected within a clevis section 48 on the main portion 42 by means of a suitable pivot pin or the like 50. The opposite end of the portion 44 is formed with a radially outwardly extending flange section 52 which is adapted to engage a flanged section 54 that is substantially identical in shape to the section 52 and is formed on the adjacent end of the main portion 42 of the adapter clamp 36, as seen in FIGURE 3. The flange sections 52 and 54 are adapted to be rigidly secured to one another by means of a suitable screw, bolt or the like, 56, which is threadably mounted within suitable aligned bores 58 and 60 formed in the flange sections 52 and 54. It will be seen that when the bolt 56 is threadably desingaged from the flange section 54, the portion 44 may be pivoted clockwise (see FIG- URE 3) about the axis of the pin 50 to enable the clamp 36 to be removed from the adapter member 26.

The cover member 20 is adapted to be detachably secured to the upper end of the adapter member 26 by means of a generally C-shaped camming lever 62 which comprises identical leg sections 64 and 66 that are connected together at the adjacent ends thereof, the opposite ends of the leg sections 64, 66 being formed with integral rectangular shaped mounting sections 68 and 70, respectively. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the sections 68 and 70 are formed with radially inwardly extending bores 72 and 74, respectively, which are adapted to be aligned with bores 76 and 78 that are formed in a pair of lug sections 80 and 82 which extend radially outwardly from and are integrally formed on the opposite sides of the cover member 20, as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4. The bores 72, 76 and 74, 78 are adapted to threadably receive suitable screws, bolts or the like 84 and 86, respectively, which pivotably connect the camming lever 62 to the cover member 20. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the lower ends of the mounting sections 68 and 70 are formed with radially inwardly projecting flange portions 88 and 90, respectively, which are adapted to cammingly engage a pair of cam cleat members 92 and 94 that are formed integrally with and extend radially outwardly from the opposite sides of the adapter clamp 36. The lower sides of the members 92 and 94 are formed with generally arcuate shaped camming surfaces 96 and 98 which, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 5, curve upwardly toward the locking section 40 of the adapter clamp 36. It will be seen that as the camming lever 62 is biased in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURES 1 and 5, the camming portions 88 and will engage the camming surfaces 96 and 98 and thereby bias the cover member 20 downwardly relative to the upper edge of the adapter member 26. Conversely, when the camming lever 62 is biased in a clockwise direction in FIGURES 1 and 5, the portions 88 and 90 of the lever 62 will be disengaged from the camming surfaces 96 and 98 to enable the cover member 20 to be lifted axially upwardly relative to the adapter member 26 to provide access to the fill tube 12.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the lug sections 80 and 82 on the cover member 20 are formed with downwardly extending guide legs 100 and 102, respectively, which are adapted to be engaged with the vertically extending rear edge portions 104 and 106 of the cam cleat members 92, 94 for initially positioning the cover member 20 relative to the adapter member 26, thereby enabling rapid attachment of the cover member 20 to the assembly 10.

A pair of resilient sealing members in the form of an O-ring 108 and a flat circular gasket member 110 are interposed between the lower side of the cover member 20 and the upper end of the adapter member 26 in order to provide a fluid-tight seal therebetween. The O-ring 108 is adapted to be secured within a semicircular recess 112 that is formed around the upper end of the adapter member 26, as best seen in FIGURE 4. The gasket member 110 is adapted to be nested within the underside of the cover member 20 and is preferably slightly larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the peripheral section 24 thereof so that it is maintained within the cover member 20 under a state of slight compression. In the event that the camming surfaces 96, 98 become slightly worn, or when the resilient characteristics of the sealing members 108, 110 are somewhat reduced, a suitable flat circular spacer member may be interposed between the upper surface of the gasket member 110 and the lower side of the dome section 22 of the cover member 20. One such spacer member is illustrated in FIGURE 4 and designated by the numeral 114.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, if it is desired to lockingly secure the cover member 20 to the assembly 10, a suitable opening 116 may be formed in the locking section 40 of the adapter clamp 36 and a suitable padlock or the like 118 may be inserted through the aperture 116 and the radially inner side of the adapter clamp 62, whereby to prevent unauthorized removal of the cover member 20 from the fill tube 12.

As above described, since the cover member 20 is adapted to provide a positive liquid and vapor-tight seal with the upper end of the adapter member 26, the fill tube cap assembly 10 of the present invention will find particularly useful application in preventing leakage of vapors or fumes from fill tubes used for communicating volatile fluids such as gasoline and the like to underground storage tanks. In achieving such a seal, the clamping lever 62 is initially biased in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 1 until the same is oriented at relatively right angles to the plane of the cover member 20, i.e., until the clamping lever 62 extends vertically upwardly. The cover member 20 with the clamping lever 62 thus positioned is then placed over the upper end of the adapter member 26 with the guide legs 100 and 102 engaged with the surfaces 104 and 106 on the rear sides of the cam cleat members 92 and 94. After the cover member 20 has been thus positioned, the clamping lever 62 is biased in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 1, whereby the camming portions 88 and 90 formed on the lower ends of the mounting sections 68 and 70 of the lever 62 are cammingly engaged with the surfaces 96 and 98 of the members 92 and 94, respectively. As the camming lever 62 is thus biased the cover member 20 will be drawn downwardly toward the upper end of the adapter member 26, resulting'in the sealing members 108 and 110 becoming -compressed'to achieve the desired liquid and vapor tight seal across the upper end of the fill tube 12. After the camming lever 62 has been biased to the position illustrated in FIGURE 1,- a suitable padlock such as the lock 118 may be utilized to lockingly secure the cover member 20 to the assembly and thus prevent tampering with the fill installation.

At such time as it is desired to remove the cover member to provide access to the interior of the fill tube 12, for example, for filling the associated underground tank or the like, the padlock 118 is initially removed, at which time the camming lever 62 is biased upwardly or in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 1 until the camming portions 88 and 90 of the lever 62 are disengaged from the cam cleat members 92 and 94, respectively. This will be accomplished when the camming lever 62 has been biased to a substantially vertical position. When the camming lever 62 is thus positioned, it serves as a carrying handle whereby the lever 62 may be manually gripped and lifted axially upwardly relative to the top of the fill tube 12 to provide the desired access thereto.

Although particular reference has been made herein to the cover member 20 being operatively associated with the adapter member 26, it will be noted that the member 20 may be secured directly to the upper end of the fill tube 12 by having the cam cleat members 92, 94 attached to the outer periphery of the tube 12 as by welding or by the adapter clamp member 36.

While it will be apparent that the exemplary embodiment herein illustrated is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the fill tube cap assembly 10 of the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the scope orfair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. -In a sealing device for a tubular conduit or the like,

cover means extending across the end of the conduit,

adapter means interposed between said cover means and the conduit,

camming means on said cover means and on said adapter means for biasing said cover means toward and lockingly securing said cover means to the conduit,

clamping means secured to said adapter means for supporting said camming means thereon,

said camming means comprising two pair of interengageable camming members secured one on said cover means and the other on said clamping means, and

lever means secured to said cover means for biasing the same into sealing engagement with said adapter means.

2. The invention as set forth in claim v1 wherein said adapter means is threadably secured at one end to the conduit and defines an annular sealing surface at the opposite end thereof.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover means comprises an annular cover member having a central dome section and a downwardly extending peripheral section which extends coaxially of the conduit.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 which includes an adapter clampmember rigidly secured to said adapter means and providing one of said pair of camming membars.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 which includes two pair of interengageable camming members secured to said cover means and said adapter means.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 4 which includes two pair of interengageable camming members and wherein one member of each of said pairs is provided on said adapter clamp member.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 5 which includes guide means on said lever means for initially orienting said cover member relative to said adapter means at a position wherein said pairs of interengageable camming members are adjacently arranged.

'8. The invention as set forth in claim 2 which includes resilient deformable sealing means interposed between adjacent portions of said sealing surface and said cover means. i

9. The invention as set forth'in claim 4 wherein said lever means and said clamp member are adapted to receive locking means for lockingly securing said cover means to the conduit.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adapter means comprises an internally threaded lower section adapted to be threadably received on the conduit, wherein said cover means comprises an annular cover member having a central dome section and a downwardly extending peripheral section, wherein said lever means comprises a C-shaped camming lever pivotably mounted at the opposite sides of said cover member, which includes an adapter clamp having an annular mounting section clampingly engaged around the outer periphery of said adapter member, said clamp including a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly projecting cam cleat members each defining a camming surface along the side thereof facing away from said cover member, said lever defining camming flange portions engageable with said surfaces when said lever is pivoted relative to said cover member, whereby said cover member will be forced toward said adapter member, and which includes interengageable sealing gasket means on the mutually confronting sides of said adapter member and said cover member.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 10 wherein said Sealing means comprises an O-ring sealing member disposed around one end of said adapter member and a flat annular sealing gasket disposed Within said cover member and engageable with said O-ring.

12. In a sealing device for a tubular conduit or the like,

cover means extending across the end of the conduit,

camming lever means pivotably mounted on said cover means,

first camming means movable in response to preselected pivotable movement of said lever means,

second camming means adapted to be selectively engaged with said first camming means to lockingly secure said cover means on the conduit, and

means detachably supporting said second camming means on the conduit and cooperable with said lever means for lockingly securing said lever means at a preselected position on said cover means.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 12 wherein means supporting said second camming means comprises an annular clamping member detachably mounted around the outer periphery of said conduit.

14. The invention as set forth in claim 13 wherein said annular clamping member is provided with an outwardly projecting flange section adapted to underlie said lever means and be lockingly secured thereto.

15. The invention as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first camming means engages the underside of said second camming means whereby to secure said cover means to said conduit means.

16. In a sealing device for a tubular conduit or the like,

cover means extending across the end of the conduit,

camming lever means pivotably mounted on said cover means,

first camming means and means detachably clampingly supporting said first camming means to said conduit, and

7 8 second camming means mounted on said cover means References Cited and adapted to move toward and away from engage- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment with said first camming means upon preselected pivotable movement of said lever means. 7141376 11/1902 Howell 292*257 17. The invention as set forth in claim 16 wherein said 5 1,312,626 8/1919 Granms 22055'7 second camming means is fixedly attached to said camii ga 35 2? m'n leve and ad ted to l k "l a e 'd first am- 1 1 n l g r aP yeng g Sal c 3,268,254 8/1966 Vantroba et a1. 292 -2s9 ming means.

18. The invention as set forth in claim 16 wherein said means supporting said first camming means comprises a 10 THERON CONDON Pr'mary Exammer' ring-shaped member clampingly secured to the conduit. GEORGE T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

